The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-12
MRS. LYDIA A. E. MESSENGER.


benefactor of Buchtel College, the de.
cease of this lady is entitled to promi-
nent mention. The readers of THE
UNIvERsALIsT will be glad to have the
facts of her honorable career and con-
nection with the college placed before
them. In what follows we use the sub
stance of an article in the Akron Bea-
con, and supplement the account with
facts kindly placed at our disposal bear
ing on the relations that Mrs. Messenger
sustained to the college.
Mrs. Messenger was native of Mas
sachusetts and was born Dec. 80, 1900,
she was therefore little more than
eighty-six years old. Her maiden name
was Bacon. When about twenty five
years of age she was married to Rev.
George Messenger, who for long time
was pastor of the Universalist church
at Ravenna, O., and later at Springfield,
o. She received her education at an
Eastern seminary, and for some time
before her marriage she followed the
calling of teacher. She had one son,
William Messenger, who married early
aud went to Mississippi to reside, where
he died at the age of twenty-seven.
Soon after the death of her husband in
1872 Mr.. Buchtel offered her home in
his family, out of gratitude to Mr.. Mes
senger, who had encouraged and aided
in the establishment of Buchtel College,
and was one of its first Board of Trus-
tees. Since that time she has enjoyed,
at the hands of Mr.. and Mrs. Buchtel,
every comfort which generous hearts
and ample means could give. Few per-
sons in the decline of life have had such
bounteous care.
Mr.. aud Mrs. Messenger were good
financiers; aud Immediately after his
death, she proposed, in honor of his
memory, to endow the chair Of Mental
and Moral Philosophy in Bucbtel Col
lege and for that purpose set aside $685.
900, to be paid at her decease, but soon
afterward paid over the money to the
college and took the bond for interest
on that sum for and during her natural
life. In 1883 she made provision for
establishing the Messenger Fund.- for
the college, and set apart $25, 900 for
that purpose to be available to the col
lege at her decease. In 1885 she in
creased the Messenger Fund" to $780,
900. She has always been a liberal
friend to the college, and in addition to
the above mentioned endowments, has
donated sums at various times aggre-
eating about $4,000. Thus it appears
that the total of her gifts to the college
is $50, 900, on the most of which she
reserved the use to herself during her
life.
The above paragraphs, from the BeG-
con, gives in brief compass The actual
facts in regard to Mrs. Messengers
gifts to the college. But in view of the
relation in which she stood to the col
lege as drawing interest on certain
part of her investment, a more specific
statement will be interesting to our Ohio
readers. We may, therefore, say that
the first $25, 900 Of her donation went
into the brick and mortar of the build
ings and was, of course, not productive.
On this the college agreed to pay eight
per cent interest semi annually during
her life. Some of this interest was
paid in cash from time to time as Mrs.
Messenger needed the money, but usu-
ally the college gave notes for one year
at seven per cent interest. In this
way, she held against the college at the
time of her decease, SCI 900 in notes.
With these, she put other good notes
amounting to SO 900, and in 1888 made
provision for the Messenger Profess
sorship of $50, 900 to go into effect at
her decease. This fund is now to be
placed on productive basis, by the col
lege appropriating out of general en-
dowment enough to pay the amount
due the Messenger Professorship and
the immediate effect of her death is to
cut off an annual liability in interest of
So sos, and to transfer from bills paya-
BILE to this special Endowment Fund,
$2l 900.
In addition to the above payment of
$25, 900, and the provision for the Mes
senger Professorship, Mrs. Messenger
made some absolute donations to the
college amounting to about $4,000,
which was long ago used in liquidating
the original building debt. In round
numbers, therefore, Mrs. Messengers
donation to Buchtel college aggregates
$50, 900, as stated in the Beacon article.
The additional bequest to the Messen-
ger Fund has never been announced un-
til since her death, and as Mr.. Tinker,
the Secretary, informs US, has just been
entered on the books of college.
Mrs. Messenger left an estate of $780,
900 which falls to her three neices, I'M
der the will, Mary s. Moore, of Har-
rodsburg, KY, Caroline L. Grow, of
Coldwater, Mich, and Geraldine L. A.
Ward, of Newburg, N. Y. Her resid-
uary legatees, John r. Buchtel and her
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